In ninth grade I took an art class entitled “Art From Found Objects.” My masterpiece was a sculpture made of blades I stole from my father’s table saw. Truthfully, it needed work, but the idea behind the piece was not half-bad. Trying to make due with what we’ve got has new meaning nowadays, thanks to concerns with sustainability. So products constructed of very little are generating interest. When they’re done well, these objects kill two birds with one stone by providing function and eliminating waste. One such item is Micol lamp by Italian designer Cristiano Mino.

Micol lamp. Designed by Cristiano Mino.

Unique Lamp Uses Concrete Brick, Wood Planks, and Recycled Plastic

Constructed of “a concrete brick, some wooden planks, and a simple sheet of recycled plastic,” Micol lamp comes in two versions—as a floor or table lamp. Both have as their source of inspiration Mino’s daughter, who gives her name to the light project. Loosely folded in half, the piece of plastic becomes the shade. The light gets directed through the teardrop-shaped hole created by the bent material. To focus the source of illumination, users simply move the piece of plastic that’s held by two slender planks of wood.

A brick doubles as Micol lamp’s base, turning an artless, utilitarian object into a counterbalance emphasizing the lightness of the other materials. The large scale of floor lamp really illustrates the simple genius of the design. At its size, the recycled plastic shade seems like it will take flight if only someone would let it go from its wood and concrete anchor—like a giant sail or the flying nun’s cornette.

Via Moco Loco.

About the Designer: Cristiano Mino, a graduate of ISIA Roma, designs lamps and home accessories. He previously specialized in the following areas: car interiors, medical devices, sports equipment, saunas, packaging, interface design, and communication design.